Tags



April 18, 1961 H. w. EASTMAN 2,979,840

TAGS

Filed May 19, 1959 IN V EN TOR.

Howard W. Eastman BY AW/Jm United States Patent c).

TAGS

Howard W. Eastman, Richmond, Calif., assignor to Eastman Tag & Label Co., Richmond, Calif., a corporation of California Filed May 19, 1959, Ser. No. 814,196

2 Claims. (Cl. 49-2) This invention relates to improvements in tags, and more particularly to improvements in tags which are constructed in such a fashion as to be capable of being marked with identifying matter and wherein the identification remains secure from obliteration by weather, abrasion, grease and the like which tend normally to deface, obscure or obliterate writing and other identifying marks.

As an example, one of the uses of tags in which the identification placed upon the tag is subjected to the attrition of weather, is in the marking of nursery plants. A rose bush may be identified by means of a tag upon which the species and genus is properly noted and after a period of time and subjection to weather, watering, mud and the like, the identification becomes illegible and of no further value.

In the present invention I have provided a simple tag construction provided with a transparent shield which is adhesively connected to the body of the tag to thus protectively cover the identification provided on the tag body and yet which allows clear visibility of said identification.

A principal object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a tag which protects a marking thereon from defacement or obliteration caused by external contacts with grease, dirt, mud, water, scufiing and like forces.

A further object of this invention is to provide a tag having a transparent shield member which is normally kept out of adhesive contact with the card body but which may be placed in adhesive contact with the body in order to effectively seal off the identification area by merely stripping a release or backing sheet from the transparent film or shield.

A further object of the invention is to provide an identification tag provided with means 'to prevent obliteration or defacement of the identification matter and which also gives the tag an attractive glossy appearance so that it continues to have an attractive, clean appearance for beyond that of conventional tags.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tag of the type described which is inexpensive to manufacture and simple to employ and which expands the fields of use of normal paper identification tags beyond that heretofore known.

Still another object of the invention is to providea tag which is resistant to attack by weather, water, grease, T1111 and scufiing or abrasion therefore promoting the use ful life of the tag beyond that heretofore available.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon referring to the accompanying specification and drawings in which similar characters of reference represent corresponding parts in the several views.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows the new tag which is the subject of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along lines 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows the tag in partially opened position and 2,979,840 Patented Apr. 18, 1961 shows an identification having been placed on the tag body.

Fig. 4 shows the tag with the backing or release sheet being removed from the transparent shield.

Fig. 5 shows the tag with the transparent shield having been fixed to the tag body in secured relationship.

Fig. 6 shows a modification of the invention.

The essence of this invention is the provision of a tag body portion 2 which may be formed of conventional tag board, preferably that which has been processed to be water-resistant. Tag body 2 is adapted to receive a pencilled or otherwise applied marking for purposes of identification or to carry such other intelligence as may be desired. As shown in the drawings the expression Rose No. 5 has been employed to indicate that the tag might be used for identifying a nursery plant and which tag is normally subjected to considerable weathering, water, dirt and other deleterious environmental damage which would normally destroy a conventional paper tag. In the present case, however, there is provided a transparent flexible shield or sheet indicated at 3 which is arranged to be secured in superposed position over the tag body in order to preserve the marking on the tag body from obliteration or defacement. Transparent flexible sheet 3 is dimensioned to overlie the tag body approximately coincident to the marginal edges thereof.

The tag is formed of superposed layers of materials comprising the tag body 2, a release or backing sheet 4, and the transparent flexible sheet of clear plastic film which serves as the shield member 3 and which is provided with a coating of pressure-sensitive adhesive 5. As illustrated the sheets of material aforesaid are provided with an eyelet member 7 to receive a wire or cord to enable attachment to an article to be tagged. The eyelet also serves to hold the pieces together as an integral unit. The tag may take a number of different forms and that which is shown in the drawings is illustrative only of a tag embodying the invention.

The backing or release sheet 4 is formed of suitable sheet material known to the art and is normally held in adhesive contact with the adhesive coating 5 provided on the underside of the shield 3. The transparent shield may be formed of cellophane or other flexible clear plastic film material and, as noted, carries on its underside a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive of suitable type. Sheet 4 is provided with a score or cut line 8 so that it may be easily disassociated from the transparent shield member 3 as required. The adhesive coating is interrupted as at 9 to enable backing sheet 4 to be stripped therefrom in convenient fashion, as more particularly illustrated in Fig. 4. Thus the transparent shield with attached hacking sheet may be folded back as illustrated in Fig. 4 and a fingernail inserted under the sheet to obtain a purchase upon the backing sheet and thus release the same from contact with the transparent shield mem-' her.

The identification matter may be pencilled or otherwise applied to the tag body and thereafter the transparent shield member is folded back coincident with the tag body and the pressure-sensitive adhesive then contacts the upper surface of the tag body to thus form a permanent seal against weathering, water and other factors which would otherwise tend to destroy or damage the legibility of the marking.

After backing or release sheet 4 has been removed there remains a portion of the release sheet disposed between tag body 2 and clear transparent film sheet 3, thus forming a more rigid or reinforced head portion of the tag in the area of eyelet 7.

Fig. 6 shows a modification of the invention and wherein release sheet 4 terminates coincident uncoated strip 9 on the underside of the transparent shield.

21 9 I I 7 d While the invention has been described in'i e'ci'fiae-' portion adjacent one end thereof, a backing sheet disposed between said clear plastic sheet and said tag body, said backing sheet provided with a cut transversely there'- oiE adjacent said first end of said tag, ;a'pressure-sensitive adhesive coating provided on nearly alijot' the underside of said clear plastic sheet and in temporary contact with said backing sheet, and a narrow transverse strip of said mas-paras:anatomist being "free araaneswe "at a point substantially coincident with the out line provided in said backing strip so that the backing strip is free of adhesive contact with the plastic sheet along the said cut line.

2. An identification tag according to claim 1 and wherein the said first end of said identification tag is provided with reinforcement means comprising a portion of said backing sheet.

References Cited in the file of this patent om-Ten STATES PATENTS 1,705,407 Jofie Mar. '12, i929 Ma l. 17, 2,248,582 Phillips July 8, 1941' 2,283,026 Yates May 12, 1942 2,767,495 Harris Oct. 23, 1956 

